[SUGGESTION] Script Validation / Verification System

[SUGGESTION] Script Validation / Verification System

I’ve been thinking about something that could improve safety and trust around scripts in Torn.

There are more and more scripts being shared on the forums, and a lot of players rely on them daily. The problem is that there’s no real way to know if a script is safe, compliant, or doing exactly what it claims. Most people just go by reputation or take a guess.

What I’m suggesting is a simple validation system where staff can review scripts and mark them as verified.

How it could work

Script creators could submit their scripts for review, including:

• The source code
• A short description of what it does
• Any API usage

Staff would then check that:

• It follows Torn’s scripting rules
• It doesn’t contain anything malicious or hidden
• It doesn’t abuse automation or cause performance issues

If everything checks out, the script gets a “verified” badge that can be shown in the forum thread or script header.

The tricky part — updates

The main issue I can see is how to handle updates.

One approach could be:

• Validation is tied to a specific version (e.g. v2.0.2)
• When the script updates, the badge is removed until it’s reviewed again

That way, users always know exactly which version was approved.

For smaller updates (UI tweaks, minor fixes), maybe there could be a lighter or faster review process.

Why this would help

Right now, people install scripts based on trust, reputation, or just convenience. That works most of the time, but it’s not ideal.

A system like this would:

• Make it safer for newer players to use scripts
• Encourage better scripting practices
• Give recognition to developers who follow the rules

Important points

• This should be optional, not mandatory
• It shouldn’t restrict scripting in any way
• It’s just an extra layer of trust, not control

Final thought

Torn has a strong scripting community, but no official way to separate trusted scripts from unknown ones.

Even a lightweight validation system would go a long way in making things safer without getting in the way of development.

What do you think?

If you think this would be useful, feel free to support the suggestion so it gets more visibility. Like it!
Interested to hear other opinions as well—especially from people who actively use or develop scripts.

You seem to gloss over the "tricky part." But with this being a major problem of a system like this, I think it needs a little more thought on how to handle. Every design change, no matter how small or insignificant, would cause the script to lose its badge, or whatever. 

 

Also, this seems to put a lot more work on staff, which are all non-paid volunteer players, with the exception of bogie, pj, and a couple others.

That’s a fair point, and I agree the update side is probably the biggest challenge here.

The idea behind tying validation to versions isn’t to punish small changes, but to encourage stability before release. If a script loses its badge on every update, it naturally pushes developers to properly test things before pushing out new versions, rather than constantly updating unfinished work.

That said, I don’t think every single minor change should require a full re-review. There could be some flexibility there, like lighter checks for small updates or giving trusted developers a faster process.

On the staff workload side, I get the concern. This shouldn’t turn into something that adds pressure on volunteers. Ideally, it would be optional and scaled in a way that doesn’t require constant manual reviews—maybe limited submissions, prioritisation, or even community reporting helping flag scripts rather than relying only on staff.

The goal isn’t to create extra work, but to add a layer of trust where it’s needed.